Metal is the coolest music on earth and the NHL is the coolest league...

[Snowy Owl]

...and hockey is back and I am so excited!

The new NHL season kicks off on October 5th and I am so pumped! My favorite team (The Philadelphia Flyers) will open up against the New York Rangers and we all know who will win that one, right Ann Marie? Of course! The Broad Street Bullies will turn the Broadway Blueshirts black and blue! Between Peter Forsberg scoring goals, Robert Esche stopping shots, Derian Hatcher patrolling the blue line and destroying opposing forwards, and Ken Hitchcock's genius as a coach, the Rangers have no chance to stop the orange crush! Of course, if the Rangers still had Mike Richter and Beezer (the two greatest American goaltenders EVER), they would have a fighting chance. But, then again, I don't know if the Rangers made any big pick ups.

In 2005-06 the drought for the Flyers will end with a Stanley Cup parade down Broad Street! Orange and Black forever! And you can quote me on that!

 

[DemonXeno]

metal is awsome :hotjump: :hotjump:

 

[Rising Force]

Metal is the most awsome music ever-long may she reign!Welcome back N.H.L and Go Red Wings.

 

[TheGreatDeciever]

Bah! I laugh at your Red Wings! The Rangers are the greatest hockey team to ever exist! They're gonna take the cup this year--just you wait!

 

[Snowy Owl]

I do applaud the Blueshirts for dropping some of their high priced underacheivers like Eric Lindros and Petr Nedved, but boy do they look questionable this year. I have no idea if the Rangers still have Jagr and their starting goaltender looks to be Kevin Weekes. Weeksie is a good goalie but hardly a world beater. Maybe Jussi Markkannen will get a shot in goal.

I must say though, I will miss Mark Messier. He was one of the greats.


I still say the Flyers will eat the Rangers alive on opening night. But I am also worried about the Penguins, boy did they stock up!

 

[TheGreatDeciever]

I do applaud the Blueshirts for dropping some of their high priced underacheivers like Eric Lindros and Petr Nedved, but boy do they look questionable this year. I have no idea if the Rangers still have Jagr and their starting goaltender looks to be Kevin Weekes. Weeksie is a good goalie but hardly a world beater. Maybe Jussi Markkannen will get a shot in goal.

I must say though, I will miss Mark Messier. He was one of the greats.


I still say the Flyers will eat the Rangers alive on opening night. But I am also worried about the Penguins, boy did they stock up!

Messier had to be one of my few if not only childhood heroes. He really rocked. Yea, 'world beater' Weekes may not be, but maybe thats what the team needs. Fewer high-priced vets and a few more average guys that can work cohesively as a team.

 

[Snowy Owl]

I am amazed your mom hasn't chimed in here yet, being I just verbally tore the Rangers a new rear end...maybe she knows the Flyers rule! hahaha!

Ahh...hockey is back and I love it!

 

[AMBR]

I'm researching for a truly worthy debate. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

 

[DemonXeno]

ok * gets balnkets * ok debate is on! GO!

 

[Snowy Owl]

Tomorrow is the day! Orange and Black will turn the Blueshirts black & blue! Hockey is back!

You'll have to forgive me for my cockiness when it comes to this first game. But I am so pumped for it and it is just ironic that a game between the two teams we pull for will end the NHL drought and hopefully put on a great game with plenty of fireworks. The Rangers just do not have any big weapons in their arsenal other than Jagr, and he is becoming a joke. And while Kevin Weekes may be a good goalie, he just does not have the goods to take the Rangers to the playoffs.

The Flyers want Stanley! And they want him bad!

 

[Snowy Owl]

OK...even though I still say the Flyers will kick the Rangers' butts tonight (I have to! It's called rooting for your team!), the Rangers don't look as outgunned as I thought. Along with Jagr on offense they have young talent Marcel Hossa and Finnish veteran Jarkko Immonen, as well as Martin Straka, Michael Nylander, Jamie Lundmark, Michal Rozsival and the best agitator in the game, former Hershey Bear Ville Nieminen. Tom Poti, Darius Kasparitis and 6'5" Marek Malik anchor the defense. In goal Kevin Weekes will be the workhorse because of young netminder Dan Blackburn's retirement.

I must say the Rangers had done a good job of eliminating the crap. Hopefully for their fans the Blueshirts can turn things around and make the Flyers-Rangers rivalry mean something again!

Ok, I have given your team props. Give me credit for that! But the Flyers will still carry the day tonight! You can take that to the bank!

 

[Snowy Owl]

Here I sit at my home in Middletown, sitting down to dine on a nice plate of humble pie. I am still stunned in disbelief. The Rangers won? 4 unanswered goals? 2 by Jagr? That's not in the script!

Congrats. You guys won the first game. But they will meet again, and the result will be much different. Enjoy this.

Snowy tips his hat to you and the Blueshirts for playing a very blue-collar game.

 

[AMBR]

Heh, heh, Rangers somehow pull the win outta there hat. Bite me!!!! Must admit I did'nt think Jagr would stand up. Still, we'll see how he makes out the rest of the season. Forsburg? Good luck. Same scenerio, IMO.

 

[Snowy Owl]

Bite me? Thems fightin' words! Just wait until next game! The cream always rises to the top! Go Flyers!

The good thing about being a Flyers fan is the fact we have an ability to block out bad memories, so I do not remember anything that happened from 1975 until...now!

But now on friendlier terms...Who is your favorite all time player for the Rangers? Is it John Vanbiesbrouck because of your cat? He was great!

I will always have a soft spot for the Rangers, though. I rooted for them along with the Flyers and the Nordiques for years. What soured me on the Rangers was their former GM Neil Smith and the pickup of Lindros the wimp! He is a 6' plus china doll!

But the Blueshirts have at least won the Cup in '94. You can easily taunt me with chants of 1975!

But Hockey is back! Thank God!

 

[AMBR]

GAME RECAP

Rangers 4, Devils 1

One period was all the Rangers needed to shut down the New Jersey Devils, 4-1, on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.

The Blueshirt offense lit up the opening period with three goals. Martin Rucinksy scored first, followed by a Ville Nieminen backhander 17 seconds later. Blair Betts rounded out the trio. The Devils added a goal in the final period after a scoreless second, but Jaromir Jagr responded on the power play to maintain the three goal-lead and the win.

Ah yes, the gods of hockey smile on us tonight! (Devils toasting.)

 

[Snowy Owl]

Well, a win over the Devils is always good. We are united in our hatred of the Jersey Devils at least!

Ville Neiminen is an ex-Hershey Bear, by the way. He won the Cup with Colorado as a rookie a few years back. The other team I pull for is the Avalanche (comes from being a Nordiques fan and the fact Hershey was Colorado's affiliate for 9 years.).

Who's your favorite Ranger?